Electrical advertising device



Nov. 18, 1941.

c. H COFFRIN ETAL ELECTRICAL ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed June 6, 1939 '2 Sheets-Sheet 1 0 00koo ooowmmowrghrflommmooooooooooooooowowoo 'tfiio'doooobooooooooboooo o oooobooooooooooooooooo 0000000 Z OOGOOOOOOOOO'OOOOQOOOtfOO 1 Y 000000 000000 0000000000000000000000000 OJQ/OO 0000 000 ATTORNEY.

Nov. 18, 1941.

c. H. COFFRIN ET AL ELECTRICAL ADVERTISING DEVICE Filed Jime 6, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet' 2 f fig g I I -f X INVENTOR.

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ATTORNEY.

Patented Nov. 18, 1941 UNITED STATES PATENT" OFFICE ELECTRICAL ADVERTISING DEVICE Cecil H. Cofirin, Brooklyn, and Florence .1. Mc-

Carthy, Hewlett, N. Y., assignors of one-third to Sele-S. Pike, NewYork, N .Y.

Application June 6, 1939, Serial No. 277,572 6 Claims. (01.177-346) The object of the present invention is to provide an electrical display apparatus comprising a sign board supporting a plurality of contiguous electric lamps, the lamps being in circuit with a control board, and the combination being such as to create on the sign board by means of electric lamps the illusion of skywriting.

The invention will be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a plan view, somewhat diagrammatic as to the designation of electric contacts and other elements illustrating an embodiment of the control board.

Figure 2 is a plan view, somewhat schematic,

illustrating an electric sign controlled by the.

board.

Figure 3 is a view in elevation illustrating the control board of Figure 1 at the forward end thereof.

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of the control board and the motor-driven circuit closing member which simulates an airplane, part of the latter being broken away.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section onythe line 5-5, Figure 1, looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the circuit closing member in action.

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5, showing the position of certain switch elements after a movement of the circuit closing member.

Figure 7 is a fragmentary section on the line 1-1, Figure 1.

Figure 8 is a schematic wiring diagram.

Referring to Figures 1 and 2 there is shown, as

indicated generally by A, an electric control board, and at B an electric sign controlled therey.

Carried by the sign B are a plurality of closely associated electric lamps as indicated at l and, if desired, the letters or other matter to be produced in simulation of skywriting, by the illumination of certain lamps, are, in the required areas, represented by electric lamps 2 which may be tinted to differentiate them from the lamps l or which may be contrasted with the lamps l by the 1 tinting of the latter. This contrasting coloration of the lamps however, is not essential.

The control board will carry spring switch members as indicated at 6 and I0, these members being equal in number to the lamps for illumination on the sign board. The control board also carries on a trackway of any suitable construction, as indicated at 4, a propelled circuit closing member 5 adapted to move on the trackway 4.

The mutual arrangement of the control board and the lamps of the electric sign is such that as the circuit closing member moves along the trackway, circuits leading to the electric sign will be closed so that lamps in the form of an airplane will be illuminated, and the airplane will appear to move over the sign board leaving behind it illuminated lamps in the form of the desired sign, which thus appears progressively as in skywriting. When the completed sign is formed the airplane, shown by the appropriate illuminated lamp, moves away therefrom and finally the sign disappears due to the opening of the circuit or circuits leading to the letters or pictorial matter thus produced.

By reference to Figure 1, it will be seen that the circuit closing member is in the form of an airplane and by reference to Figure 6 it will be seen thatas the circuit closing member moves to the left it will depress the spring switch members 6 within its area and that as it moves on it will release said switch members which spring up and break the circuit formerly closed. Thus only the area bounded by the circuit closing member, and in the form of an airplane, will act upon the switch member 6.

'Each spring switch member 6 is, when operated, brought into contact with a contact post I (Figure 6) having a branch wire 8 leading to the appropriate lamp I, the spring switch member being suitably grounded and the lamps receiving current via wire 9.

The lamps 2 forming the desired sign, when illuminated, are controlled bythe circuit'closing member 5'through the instrumentality of the spring switch member ID adapted to be moved into engagement with the contact posts ll (Figure 5), each post being'connected as by a wire I2 to a feed wire l3 and the spring switch members l0 being suitably grounded. Each spring switch member In, when moved to circuit closing position by the circuit closing member 5 remains in such position until the circuit closing member moves away from the completed sign formed by the lamps 2 and reaches a predetermined point in its travel on trackway 4. To such end the control board carries under each spring switch member 10a lower power magnet I4 through'which a circuit may be effected via wires l5 and I6, the arrangement being such that when each spring switch member II] is moved down into engagement with its contact post H, the magnet l4 will hold it in that circuit closing position until the circuit through wires [5, I6

nets l4 via branch wires L590, 16x. 1

The construction of the circuit closing member is shown in Figures 4 and '7. Mounted thereon is a motor I8 driving a worm IS in engagement with a worm gear 20 connected in any suitable manner to an axle 2| for the forward set of Wheels 22 of the circuit closing member or one of said wheels. In the present embodi-v ment, as shown inliigure 7, ,wormgearllll' ,is in mesh with ,the gear 23 ,carried by axle :2 l forgone of the wheels 22. As shown in Figure 7, the

right hand track element is insulated so that it; may carry electric current leading to the motor.

The positive motor lead is indicated at 21 and the negative lead at 28. To lead 2] ,isuconnccted, a finger 21a: which will rideon the adjacent.-in'-. sulated track element and that track elementqis connected to positive wire 29. It will be understood that the wheel 22 will be made of suitable non-conducting material. The negative lead ;28 may be connected to a finger 28a; riding upon the' left-hand track element which may serve as aground, v

Projected upwardly above the surface of the control'boardA is a stud shaft shown at 24 in 'Fig'uresl-and '8. Thus when thecircuit closing -me'mber has completed the production of an illur'ninat'edsign and passes beyondthe same it will'meetstud shaft 24 :and-rnomentarily-open ,the-circuit leading to --'the magnets 4'4 by separating contact -'members 25 :and 26, comprising a switch disposed in lead wires lfi. The magnets "being-"de energized, spring-switch arms H) will move upwardly to 1 break the circuit through the lamps 2, and when in the continued movement of the circuit closing member it passes stud shaft 'zkspring action of one of thecontactmembers Z5, 26, will -re-engag'e them to closethe circuit through the wires 1 and "I6. The'low powermagnets 14, however, will have no action upon contactarms Ill until theyare again depressed by the' circuit closing member.

'In'the operation of thecircuit closing member its p'osition throughout its movement will appear on theboard B by an illumination oflamps conforming with the shape of said circuit closing member, in this instance an airplane. As the air,- planecircuit closing member moves in an area corresponding with any area of the sign to be shown by the lamps 2, it will "be followe'd'by illumination and retention of illumination. of the lamps 2 so the effect will be that of an airplane leaving'a visual trail, asin skywriting. To augment the effect, -'the trackway is preferably so "formed as-to'correspond'with the path of travel customarily followed by an airplane in 'skywriting, the selected advertising sign, in this instance, being'I. JJFoX.

It will be understood that the form-and arrangement of the elements comprising the embodiment of the invention illustrated in the drawings may be substantially varied without departing=from the spirit of the invention, what we claim'anddesireto secure by Letters Patent, be,- ing as follows:

1. An electrical advertising sign incorporating means j'for producing the effect, by illumination, of progressive transcription ofskywriting ,by an illuminated airplane representation performing the transcription comprising a carrying member, electric lamps supported by said carrying member, a control device having a pluralityof switches, each electrically connected to a lamp on said carrying member, a circuit closing member shaped as an airplane and adapted for movement over the switch devices to progressively close the same,

and means for holding part of said switch devices in closed position after the withdrawal therefrom of said circuit closing member, the remaining switch devices moving to open posi- 5 tion upon said withdrawal therefrom of the circuit closing member, and the closed switches continuing the illumination of the lamps connected thereby to simulate the progressiveformation of a skywriting signed delineation. l0 2. An electrical advertising sign constructed 1 tin accordance with claim 1, in combination with a trackwayon the control board, means for propellingthe circuit closing member on said track- Way andmeans on the control board at a predetermined position relatively to the path of movement ,of-the ,circuit closing member, and in electrical connection with said switch holding means, for rendering said switch holding means inactive.

3. An electrical advertising sign incorporating means for'pro'ducing the effect, byillumination, of skywriting,' comprising a'carrying member, closely spaced electric lamps supported by said carrying member, a control device-having a plurality of sets-of switches-eachelectrically "connected to "a lamp on said carrying, member, a trackway, a circuit closing member adaptedffor movement on said trackway-over the sets of switches to progressively close areas thereof conforming with the shape of an airplane, and means for'holding one set of said switches [in closed position after the withdrawal therefrom of said circuit closing member, the remaining switch devices moving to open position upon'the :withdrawal therefrom of the circuit closing meme} ber, and the closed switchescontinuing the illumination'of the lamps connected thereby to simulate th'e progressive formation of a skywriting signed delineation. j

'4. Anelectrical advertising sign constructed in accordance with claim "3 in which the trackway is endless, in combination with means adjacent the trackway and adapted to beengagedbythe circuit closing member for rendering the switch 'holdingmeans' inactive. I

v 5. An electrical advertising sign 'constructedin accordance with claim 3 in which means for "holding part of the switches in closedjposition comprise an electric circuit, a 'magnet for each of the switches which "are adapted to be held in closed position, and a circuit "opening member disposed in the pathway of the-circuit closing member and adapted tobe opened by'engagement therewith of the circuit closing member.

26. An electrical-advertising sign incorporating means'to produce the effect, by illumination, of skywriting, comprising a carrying member, electric'lamps supported by said carrying member, a controlboard having a plurality of -switches,'each 'electrically connected to a lamp on said carrying member, a trackway conforming to the des'ired sl ywriting, a plurality of said switches being 1 disposed closely'adjacent-the trackway, a switch closing'member in the shape of an airplane, a

her on a trackway, the latter being continuous, an electrical holding device for part of said sw tches which are disposed cjlosel'yadja'centthe trical'holding devices, and a circuit breaking deviceifor said last-named circuit, adapted tobe actuated by the circuit closing member ,in its movement. i 'CECJIL COFFRIN.

'FLORENC-E J. MCCARTHY.

cpower device' for driving the switch closing-'mem trackway, a circuit common ,to all .of said else-- 

